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On this edition of DeKalb Business Today, host Matt Holmes welcomes a panel of local businesspeople who are growing their businesses, in part, through word of mouth marketing. Ted Wright shares the secrets of how Fizz Marketing is helping clients here in Atlanta – and all around the globe – to reach new customers. Kim Prillerman discusses her experiences in corporate coaching. Mitchell Anderson talks about the road from Hollywood to Atlanta and how he traded the stage for the kitchen. Elisa Iannilli looks at a new and popular trend in the local workforce – coworking.

Ted Wright has been at the forefront of Word of Mouth Marketing since he helped re-ignite the Pabst Blue Ribbon brand in 2000. Over the last decade, his agency has become a global leader in Word of Mouth Marketing with clients on every continent.

Often called the best WOMM speaker working today, Ted has won numerous public speaking awards for his talks on WOMM and always elicits more questions than a Q&A can handle.

An alumnus of Booz Allen & Hamilton, Ted holds an MBA with honors from The University of Chicago. He also enjoys great bourbon and drives too fast, but never at the same time.

Kim has over 25 years of experience as a leader in a Fortune 500 company including international experience. She is a certified corporate coach, energy leadership master practitioner, a certified DISC trainer and holds a masters in Human resources. Kim specializes in helping organizations develop their most valuable asset: their people. With an emphasis on developing highly successful leaders, Kim routinely works with individuals and companies to produce teams and employees that are engaged, energized, and aligned to the goals of their organization.

Prior to founding Soaring Corporate Coaching and Consulting, Kim spent over two decades in various leadership and development roles. She was responsible for creating award-winning teams, designing strategy, developing emerging leaders and managing employees who genuinely enjoyed their work and felt loyal to their organization.

Kim brings all of this experience to her work at Soaring Corporate Coaching and Consulting, to help companies of all sizes develop their own award-winning teams and leverage the power of human potential to achieve their organizational objectives. She believes it all starts with the leader and leadership self awareness is the key to becoming an ideal leader.

Kim brings a personal “out of the box approach” to leadership development and corporate coaching. She energizes others through her enthusiasm and passion to help others to soar.

In October of 2005, Mitchell opened the original MetroFresh, where ever since he has served as head chef, general manager, catering guru, busboy, greeter-in-chief, and, at times, delivery boy. A native of Jamestown, NY, Mitchell received a BA in Theatre at Williams College and went on to study acting at The Juilliard School in New York City. For nearly twenty years, Anderson worked in film, television and on stage as a professional actor, most notably in popular the television series, DOOGIE HOWSER, MD, and PARTY OF FIVE. In 2002, Anderson moved to Atlanta and left show business behind.

Having spent most of his life as an amateur cook, Anderson discovered he could take his love of food and translate it into a second career. He sought the guidance of a mentor in Jennifer Levison, owner/chef of the very popular Buckhead eatery, Souper Jenny. Under her tutelage, Mitchell took his “at home” cooking experience, learned a new artistic, creative approach to food and how the restaurant business worked. After nearly three years in the kitchen with Jennifer, she gently nudged him on his way to create his own restaurant and MetroFresh was born.

Anderson began writing the MetroFresh Daily Email the first day MetroFresh opened in Midtown. The daily musings about the restaurant, food, family, friends, current events and tales from his childhood have personalized the MetroFresh experience. The blog has become an everyday ritual for many loyal customers and is even read by fans all across the country.

Mitchell is active in local theatre and is a supporter of many local charities.

Elisa Iannilli is the General Manager at Decatur CoWorks, a coworking space in Decatur. She started off as a part-time front desk attendant in March 2015 and quickly moved up to general manager in June 2015. Elisa enjoys providing a comfortable work environment for individuals and groups to work, meet, and collaborate. She has had the privilege of meeting a variety of people in various fields who work hard to establish and maintain their small business. She’s witnessed individuals become more successful and fulfilled as they achieve their goals through concentrated workdays.